Guard-rail clamp



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PiilTi-NT EISEN PACKER, F NEWT ROCHELLE, NEX/V YORK, ASSGNGR TO 8c C COMFANY, OF NEVJ YGRK, N. Y., A CORPORATGN OF ll/IAINE.

GUARD-BAEL CLAMP.

Application filed. May 19,

To all 'whom t maf] concern:

Be it known that l, EBEN RAY Pacman,

a citizen of the United States, residing at llew Rochelle, in the county of lVestchester and vState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Guard-Rail Clamps, of which the following is a speciiication.

rlhe present invention relates to guard rail clamps adapted for securing railway guard rails in proper' relative position to the track rails and consists of an improved arrangement and construction of the several parts thereof designed particularly to produce a guard rail clamp which will have the maximum strength with the minimum of metal employed. rllo this end the constituent parts of my improved clamp are of an improved form wherein the distribution of the metal is such that additional metal or enlarged cross sectional areas of metal are provided immediately at the points or location of the greater stresses whereby for a given weight of metal greatly improved resisting values are obtained.

Further important features of my improved clamp construction consist of a novel arrangement of the parts particularly adapted to permit of their being readily and securely placed in position for use and adapted to be retained in effective position independent of the securing or tightening means. My improved device is moreover designed to possess other features of advantage over the clamps as heretofore made adapting it more successfully to resist the thrusts and pound ing of heavy traffic without danger of displa Aement from its effective position. Other features and advantages of my present invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters are applied to the corresponding parts in the several views.

in the drawings z*- Fig. l is a vertical cross sectional view through the respective rails showing the improved clamp of my invention in elevation.

lT ig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the rails showing my improved clamp in plan.

Referring to the drawings wherein there is illustrated a desirable embodiment of the several features of my invention, l designates the usual track rail to which the guard rail 2 is attached in proper spaced relation Cir 1920. Serial No. 382,543.

by means of the clamping yoke member 3. Arranged to coact with the yoke in the clamping of the rail and to space the respective rails from each other a suitable spacer or filler block 4 5 is provided and interposed between the respective rails as shown. This spacer block is composed of the two parts l and 5 which are separated in a vertical plane on a diagonal line to be capable of engagement in different positions of relative longitudinal adjustment so as to determine and adjust the separation of their outer contacting surfaces and in consequence the spacing of the rails. The adjacent and contacting surfaces of the parts forming the block are desirably formed with vertical corrugations composed of vertical ribs 6 and grooves 7 adapted to register so as to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the parts 4 and 5 and to permit of their assembly to adjust the width of the block for obtaining the desired spacing of the rails. Means are also provided to maintain the block members a and 5 against vcrtical displacement which, in accordance with the present invention, consists in providing the ribs 6 of the'block member l with shoulder extensions or ledges 8 adapted to engage with horizontal surfaces of the coacting block member 5. As here shown the respective block members t and 5 are provided with upper and lower inwardly extending walls l0 and 11 upon the inner marginal edges of which are formed the coacting ribs and grooves 6 and 7. For obtaining a desirable lightness of construction the parts 4 and 5 are suitably cored out forming depressions l2 and 13 in their outwardly directed sides or faces directed toward the rails. A s indicated this coring may desirably be in a manner to provide for four point contact with each of the rails by means of the upper and lower engaging shoulders let and l5 formed to engage'the under side of the rail head and the upper surface of the rail flange respectively. As indicated each of the members d and 5 is provided with a transversely arranged vertical reinforcing wall or rib 16 connecting the horizontal walls l0 and ll upon which the corrugations are formed thereby to lend additional strength thereto.

The improved arrangement ofthe shoulder extensions 8 upon the ribs 6 of the member @t as will he readily luiderstood j wevices a llll simple and efl'ective means for preventing relative vertical displacement of the members 4L and 5 in a manner requiring` a comparatively small addition of metal. To prevent movement of the spacing block formed by the members l and 5 longitudinally of the rails and with relation to the yoke member 3, one of the blocks is provided in the usual manner with depending` lugsto engagethe side of the yoke. For this purpose as here 4shown the member 4 has integrally formed on its under side at its extremities suitable `lugs 18, 18 positioned to engage with the side surfaces of the yoke member 3 and thereby 'to prevent longitudinal shifting of the spac- `ing block.

To coact with the yoke 3 and spacingblock in clamping the guard rail in Yposition thereis provided a spacer block or shoe 2O interposed between the upper inwardly turned end portion of the yoke and the track rail and similarly interposed between the opposite inwardly turnedvend of the yoke and the guard rail there is arranged Va wedge or tightening member 22. rlhe shoe member 20 is formed as shown to bear upon the under side of the rail'liead and upon the `rail base and is also provided with a socket 2Liadapted to receive therein the tapered nose portion 25 of the yoke whereby the shoe 2O is held thereby from both longitudinal and ver tical displacement. y

As best shown in Fig.2 the wedge member y22 is formed with a tapered or inclined outer surface or bearing wall '28 adapted'to bear vagainst a flat vertical'bearing surface 29 of similar inclination formed on the inner end of the yoke 3 and the wedge is also formed to bear against 'the under side of the rail head and upon the upper surface of the rai base in the customary manner. f

A further valuable feature embodied in my improved structure` consists in providing means to maintain the proper vertical alignment of the yoke sotliat itis not permitted to drop vdown at either end upon loosening of the wedge member, This is accomplished by providing the wedge member 22 with an outwardly exteudingbearing flange or ledge 30 arranged as shown to underlie the end of the yoke and provide a support thereto. Similarly the spacer block or shoe 2O is provided with an extending fiange 31 arranged to underlie the opposite end of the yoke. As a result thereof upon assembling of the parts preparatory to tightening of the clamp the yoke will be properly positioned and the clamping may be effected by the simple operation of driving in of the wedge without the necessity of otherwise holding` the yoke in its proper position.

For the purpose of securing the wege member in its tightened position the'ledgeportion 20 thereof is provided with a longitudinally arranged'series of apertures 34 adapted to receive a securing cotter pin 35 at the reduced lthe outwardly directed thrusts to which the lout at its inwardly directedside at 38, 38 to provide for six points of contact with the rail by means of shoulders 39, 89 at its extremities and intermediate contact shoulders 40. A transversely arranged vertical wall lll is integrally formed with the intermediate shoulders 40 to provide a central reinforcement for the wedge member whereby it will be of adequate strength without excess of imetal.

An important feature of my present in- -vention resides in an improved design of yoke member which is of a form adapted to possess the maximum strength with the minimum of metal employed. is illustrated the yoke member 3 is of approximately I- beam form in cross section throughout its length having a vertical web andv opposite horizontal flanges-4a yand 45 of which as illustratedtlie rail engaging flange la is materiallyenlarged in width and cross section relative to flange l5 and moreover is'further enlarged in its cross sectional area immediately at the bent or curved portions 46, 46

Vthereof at which points itis subjected to the greatest tensional stresses. The improved distribution of the metal 'of the yoke member as shown is particularly strong in resisting yoke ends are subjected in that enlarged areasof metal are providedwhere the severe tensional stresses occur as at the inner portions of the bends and at the upper sideof the connecting beam or rail engaging portion. The webportion of tlie yoke is inore over of substantial depth so that the flange enlargement l5, at the point furtl'iest re- 'moved from the neutral axis is positioned, so

as to obtain greater resisting value from the metal therein. My iinprovedfform of yoke is therefore designed especially with a view to obtaining the maximum strength for the metal therein so as further to contribute to the eflicieiicy and lightness of construction with resulting economy in manufacture. The enlargement in width of the flange ai as 'will .'be'noted provides .for a greater area of bearing` engagement with the under sides of the rails thereby more firmly supporting the yoke member in proper correlation with the rails.

In the preferredy embodiment of the features of my invention as here shownwhereiii the spacer shoe 2O is employed the arrangethe rail which is common in this art.

Having described my invention I claim l. A rail clamp comprising a clamping bar or yoke member having inwardly directed end portions, a wedge member formed with a rail engaging portion and an inclined wedging surface adapted to be interposed between one end of the yoke and a rail7 a bearing shoe member adapted to be inten posed between the opposite end portion of the yoke and a second rail andl an adjustable spacer block adapted to be interposed between the rails and said wedge, the shoe and spacer block members being cored out to reduce the cross sectional area of metal therein and to provide for multiple point Contact with the rails, substantially as described.

2. A rail clamp comprising a clamping bar or yoke member having inwardly directed end portions7 a wedge member formed with a rail engaging port-ion and an inclined wedging surface adapted to be interposed between one end of the yoke and a rail, a bearing shoe member adapted to be interposed between the opposite end portion of the yoke and a second rail and an adjustable spacer block adapted to be interposed between the rails7 said wedge, shoe and spacer block members being cored out to reduce the cross sectional area of metal therein and to provide for multiple point Contact with the rails, said yoke member being of approximately -beam :t'orm in cross section and hav ing a vertical web and upper and lower laterally extending flanges and said upper flange being substantially enlarged in width and cross section relative to said lower flange and being further enlarged in cross sectional area immediately at the bend or curved portions of the yoke, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

nenn nar PAGKER. 

